Automatic convertible steel top



Dec. 30, 1952 c. v. CATELL 2,523,779

AUTOMATIC CONVERTIBLE STEEL. TOP

Filed March 16. 1950 INVENTOR. 'Hflj-EZZES V CflTE'LL Patented Dec. 30,1952 OFFICE AUTOMATIC CONVERTIBLE STEEL TOP Charles V. Catell, Bangor,Maine Application March 16, 1950, Serial No. 150,029

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic convertible steel top forautomobiles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a convertible steeltop for automobiles which can be operated by merely turning a switch ordepressing a button on the dashboard of the automobile to either causethe top to be extended over the body or to be withdrawn and wherein whenthe same is withdrawn it will be stored in a compartment at'the rearofthe automobile and completely enclosed and out. of view.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an automaticconvertible steel top for automobiles wherein the operating mechanismconstitutes telescoping parts actuated by the foreing of air into suchparts to extend them and to retract them, by causin a vacuum to becreated by the same air system and wherein a pivoted carriage or rearsupport is provided for the collapsed top parts which willbe operatedfrom the same air system automatically and in proper timed relation toextend the rear support or car riage out of the rear compartment of theautomobile or to withdraw the same at the end of the retracting actionof the telescoping parts to lower the top in its collapsed and retractedcondition into the rear compartment of the automobile.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an automaticconvertible steel top for automobiles which is of simple construction,inexpensive to manufacture, actuated by simple devices, has a minimumnumber of parts, provides for the sealing of the topparts when extendedand of the top parts upon one another and of the top parts on the windowsupporting edges, adapted to be withdrawn into a compartment in the rearof the automobile, compact, of pleasing ap pearance and eflicient inoperation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevational view of an automobile with the top of the present inventionextended to a raised position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of an automobile with the top down andwithdrawn into a compartment in the rear thereof, the automobile beingbroken away to show the assembled top parts lying therein.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the automobileand of the convertible top and showing in detail the automatic oper-Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the control unit connected to thedashboard of the automobile.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the automobile and of the topstructure taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the air and oil unit forming a part of theoperating mechanism.

Referring now to the figures, l0 represents an automobile body havingforward supporting wheels II and rear supporting wheels [2. In rear ofhood portion I3 is the usual inclined windshield M. In the side of thebody is a door l5 having a vertically adjustable window It. In rear ofthe door and in the side of the body is a rear side window I? that canbe lowered into the side oi the body. These windows Itand I! providesupports for the automatic convertible steel top I 8 embodying thefeatures of the present invention. The forward end of the top issupported upon the windshield I i. The rear of the automobile has acompartment it into which the convertible top is lowered and stored whennot in use. This compartment ii] lies ahead of the usual rearcompartment 2| lying under rear cover 22.

The convertible steel top includes a rear cover part 23 inwhich is awindow 24. This rear cover part is pivotally supported by arms ispivotally connected respectively to the sides of the automobile andadapted to carry the assembly into and out of the compartment IS. Thepivot connections of the arms 25 with the sides of the automobile bodyare indicated at 25 and carry a small gear 21. At each side of the bodyand lying in the wall thereof is a combined air and oil unit 26. Thisunit has an air cylinder 29 in which is a slidable piston 3|. In one endof the cylinder 29 isa body of oil 32 which can be passed through a pipe33 to an oil cylinder 3 This oil under pressure by piston 3! will forcea piston 35 to move within the cylinder 34. This piston 35 carries arack 36 that meshes with the small gear 21 sothat as the part 28 isactuated, the rear cover part will be moved into or out of thecompartmerit [9 because of its pivoted connection with the arms 25.There are preferably two of these units 28, one at each side of theautomobile. They are supplied with air under pressure from a pipe orhose $6 connected to the air cylinder 29. An air pump 3? is carried onthe under side of a floor 38 in the bottom of the compartment I9.

. This pump 3! is driven by an electric motor 39 through a pulley belt4!. A cable 42 extends through the automobile body to a switch box 43mounted on dashboard t4 and having switch buttons 45, it and ii. A cable48 also lead to the switch box 43' from a battery supply source, notshown. The electric motor 39 is a reversible one and the direction ofits rotation will vary according to which of the buttons 45 or 41 isdepressed.

Assuming that the button 45 is pressed, the electric motor 39 will bestarted and the pump 31 will force air under pressure to the aircylinder 29 to cause the oil cylinder 34 to be operated in such a mannerthat the rack 35 working on gear 21 will cause the rear cover 23 to beelevated from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig.3, taking with it other cover parts 5|, 52 and 53. These cover partsslide over one another to provide the complete cover for the automobilebody.

The supporting arms 25 of the rear cover part 23 are joined by atransverse member 54 so that the arms 25 are lifted in unison. Thistransverse member has an edge which extends rearwardly to engage with alip 55 projecting over the compartment 19 at the rear side thereof. Thetransverse member 54 has a strip of sealing material, as indicated at58, to bear against .the lip 55 in a water tight manner.

To effect the extension of the parts 5|, 52 and 53, after the assemblyhas been lifted out of the compartment, there is provided at each sideof the cover a telescoping unit 51 having telescopically -arrangedtubular or cylindrical parts 58, 59, 69 and 6! of varying sizes. Thesetelescopic parts are slightly curved differently, but only to suchdegree that they will conveniently enter one another withoutinterference. The smallest part BI is closed at its forward end and alsois anchored at its forward end, as indicated at 62, to the forwardmostcover part 53.

A fitting 64 is provided between the pump 31 and the hose 36' to provideair communication with a hose 65 for delivery of air to the largecylinder 58. The pump 31 continues to operate until all of the coverparts have been extended.

Each of the cover parts 5!, 52 and 53 has its rear end depressed or bentdown, as indicated at B1 to form a downwardly inclined member. A sealingstrip 68 is provided upon this edge which will engage with a sealingstrip 69 provided upon the under surface of the forward edge of thecover part. As these sealing strips join one another, the cover is madewater tight. Also in this manner, the parts are made rattle-proof.

A sealing strip H is provided across the top of the windshield M toprovide for a water tight connection at this location. The side edges ofthe cover parts run in guide channels 12 on the windows l6 and il. Thesechannels maybe lined withcompressible rubbersealing strips 13.

To return the cover parts to the compartment IS, the button 4'! ipushed. The electric motor 39 .will run in the reverse direction andaccordingly the pump 31 willsuck out air from the telescopic devices 57to retract the parts thereof and at. the same time the air will bewithdrawn from the cylinder 29 to move the rack'36 in, the opposite.direction to lower the cover parts, which will have been alignedwith oneanother into the compartment l9.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a convertiblesteel top for automobiles which requires only a few parts assembled toone another so that they can be extended or retracted by a simpleoperating mechanism and wherein when the parts are to be retracted, theyare collected and assembled and dropped into the rear of the automobilebody by simple arm sunports that act automatically in proper timedrelationship to the actuation of the telescopic members of the operatingmechanism. Automatically the arm supports will be lifted to raise theassembly when the cover parts are to be extended.

It will be apparent that the operations are carried out automatically bya simple pushing of the proper button upon the dash of the automobile.The parts are extended and the supports lifted by air under pressure,but are returned by the creation of a vacuum in the parts of theoperating mechanism.

It will be further apparent that by having the depressed ends 61 thecover parts will overlap one another but their top faces will lie flushto provide a continuous and smooth top surface. The top cover parts arecurved to shape the top.

The telescopic devices are of metal and may be finished in chrome fordeluxe appearance. The cover parts are held securely in their extendedpositions by projections 75 at the opposite sidesof the parts which mayenter complementary recesses in the adjoined part. Also the parts may beheld in their extended positions by maintaining a constant pressure ofair in the system. Both means may be used to hold the parts together andextended or the one means may be regarded as sufficient.

It will be further apparent that the entire cover is supported, whencollapsed, from two points on the automobile. An air pressure gauge maybe provided on the, panel so that the air pressure in the system can bechecked. If desired, a compression tank can be used for supplying theair pressure for the operation .of the telescopic devices. The hydraulicand air operating devices may be synchronized in the usual manner.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims. 7

I claim:

1. In an automobile, a body having a rear compartment, windshield andside window portions extending upwardly from the body and providing atop cover support, a convertible top cover construction comprising coverparts slidable over one another, the forward cover part engageable withthe top of the windshield and the rear cover part engageable with theedge of the rear compartment,'arm supports connected to the rear coverpart and adapted to swing the collected cover parts out of and into thecompartment, operating means for actuating said arm supports to extendthe cover parts and for retracting the same, said operating meansincluding an air pump for supplying air under pressure, an air operateddevice connected to the arin supports, telescopic devices connected tosaid air pump and disposed at each side of the convertible top to extendthe coverparts thereof by pressure of air supplied by said air pump,said pump means operable in a reverse directionto create a vacuum in thetelescopic devices to effect the retraction of the same and the returnof the cover parts to the rear compartment.

2. In an automobile, a body having side portions, a windshield and arear compartment, a top cover construction adapted to engage saidwindshield and comprising a plurality of overlapping cover elements, armsupports connected to the rear cover element at the opposite sidesthereof and having a pivot connection respectively with the respectiveside portions of the body, an air operated device having a rackthereupon, a gear connected to each arm support and engaging with therack to be operated by the same and to effect the angular pivotaladjustment of the arm supports, a telescopic device comprising aplurality of interfitting tubular members connected to the forward andrear cover elements, air pump means connected to said air device andsaid tubular members to supply either air under pressure or to effect avacuum within said device and said tubular members whereby the coverparts and the arm supports will either be extended from the body orretracted into the body, and said air pump means including an electricmotor and a switch control device adapted to be disposed upon theforward part of the automobile body.

3. A convertible steel top construction, a recessed body, a plurality ofoverlapping cover parts for covering said body, telescopic meanscomprising a plurality of interfitting tubular members for extending andretracting said cover parts, arm supports extending inwardly from thelast cover part and pivotally connected tothe sides of said body wherebyto guide the assembly comprised of the cover parts and telescopic meansinto and out of the recess in said body, a combined air and hydraulicmechanism comprising a pair of interconnected cylinders, an air lineextending from one of said cylinders, and a rack, an arm supportoperable by said rack to lift the assembly of cover parts and telescopicmeans, and air pressure means connected to the mechanism and the tubularmembers whereby simultaneously to lift the arm support-s and increasethe air pressure in said tubular members to extend said cover parts oversaid body.

CHARLES V. CATELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,230,109 Byron June 19, 19171,278,837 Birney Sept. 17, 1918 1,306,836 Perlman June 17, 19191,321,913 Hedges Nov. 18, 1919 2,013,314 Metz Sept. 3, 1935 2,496,437Bramble Feb. 7, 1950 2,509,623 Baade May 30, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 223,739 Great Britain Oct. 30, 1924 573,355 Great BritainNov. 16, 1945

